The Need To Breathe
by Blueskullz
Summary: One-Shot of the aftermath of Rin's rejection to Haru. (I wrote this during eighth grade and felt as if leaving it lonely and desolated in my folders was a waste. Ah, but my eighth grade writing is... hm. Even though it says complete, I might make more chapters if asked.)


It was getting out of hand. Makoto sighed at his friend who stared at anywhere and everywhere, _except_ at the water. Haru, who loved the water, Haru, who was practically hand in hand with the substance, was currently doing his best to avoid the sight at all costs. Furthermore, it seemed as if he hadn't even realized that he was doing so. If Makoto asked Haru what the matter was, he would twitch and focus his gaze on his friend with a confused shine in his eyes.

Like now for instance.

'Sorry Haru, got lost in my thoughts again.' Makoto smiled innocently at Haru who looked at him with a slight tilt of his neck. He then proceeded to look on, _away_ from the ocean. If Haru's eyes ever did wander towards the vast body of water however, instead of the deep, longing look he'd always wear, there was now a strangely blank expression replacing it.

Like Makoto had said, it was getting out of hand.

Even during swimming practices, Haru would make an excuse (any excuse really) about why and how he shouldn't get into the water. Excuses ranged from 'I'm sick' to 'I'm sick'. Basically, Haru was not the type to lie, and shouldn't ever _have_ to lie. Haru never missed out on swimming. Heck, Makoto even had to drag Haru away from it from time to time. So many times, that eventually, even Makoto lost count.

When had this avoidance started?

Makoto searched through his memories and decided that it was when Rin had declared, with an absolute and an undeniable tone, 'I'm not going to swim with you anymore.'

Yes, it had been since that day.

Makoto gave Haru a worried glance through his peripheral vision and resisted a growing sigh. There was no use in pushing Haru to tell his childhood friend what the matter was. Makoto drew that from his own experience. The best way to handle this was by letting Haru alone with his own thoughts for a little while -or maybe even a _long_ while. That always seemed to work perfectly fine.

Then again, Haru's reluctance to swim was never a case in those situations.

Makoto pursed his lips.

Rin and Haru had much to solve.

Flexing his fingers, Makoto tucked his hands into his jacket pocket. It was nearing autumn and was inevitably getting colder. This time of the year, Haru would be rushing to swim at the outside pool, wanting to savour whatever of the weather had left for him before winter struck and he would have to swim indoors in those chlorinated waters. Yet -look here- that was the one thing Haru wasn't doing and should be doing.

It was simply unnatural to see Haru this way.

Resisting the urge to grab his friend's shoulders and shake him awake from whatever hazy thoughts he was steeped in, Makoto let out a steady breath of air that created a small line of fog from his mouth before dispersing into midair.

It really was getting colder. The cats were probably struggling to find warm shelter. He would have to go around the neighbourhood and check on them Makoto decided.

Haru sneezed and unconsciously rubbed his own sleeves across his reddening nose.

Haru. With a cold? Now that was something Makoto didn't see everyday.

'Cold?' Makoto smiled noting the way Haru's shoulders jumped with a, practically unnoticeable, twitch.

Haru looked at Makoto with an indifferent look. He took it as a yes.

'That's what you get for showering in the mornings.' Makoto grinned. Haru shook his head and Makoto frowned, causing his brows to crease in the middle.

'You... You haven't been taking showers in the morning?'

Haru looked away. Where usually his gaze would linger on the ripples of the sea, now, his eyes wandered. Unfocused, and without a destination. As if he didn't know where to look. The sea was unbearable to look at, what else was there to see other than that?

Haru shrugged to Makoto's enquiry.

'You do take showers, right?'

Haru gave Makoto a pointed look as if to say 'what do you think'.

Makoto certainly didn't know _what_ to think. Water avoiding Haru was a Haru he did not know. It was as strange as seeing a dolphin out of the water. Helpless and lost. Makoto just hoped that Haru's pointed look meant 'Of course I shower you dimwit'.

Makoto chuckled and thrust his fists further into his pockets.

Yeah, it was cold for the kitties to be out and running today.


End file.
